Siena is a Tuscan province and it surely is one of the most visited cities in the world by tourists coming from several parts of the planet. It is placed at the heart of the region sorrouned by the Chianti’s green hills. This city has surprisingly preserved its medieval look with its thick network of winding tiny streets that surround Piazza Del Campo. Thanks to its urban compactness and homogeneity the historic centre of Siena is unique in the world and for this reason it has been included in The world patrimony’s list of UNESCO. Visiting Siena you will appreciate the red colour of houses made up by fire, the bell towers that overtop roofs, the tranquillity of the centre streets. The most important monuments of this city date back to the gold period of Siena from the XII and the XIII century when there were an extraordinary development of arts. The most important artists of that age worked here leaving an incredible heritage of frescos and paintings characterized by an exceptional value.

The heart and the symbol of Siena is surely Piazza del Campo with its characteristic shell shape where it is possible to admire beautiful monuments like the Palazzo Pubblico, a Gothic masterpiece, and the magnificent Torre del Mangia. Always here it is possible to visit the Civic Museum where you can admire many masterpieces such as the famous “Maestà” by Simone Martini and the cycle of frescos by Ambrogio Lorenzetti.

It is also important to remember that in Piazza del Campo there are every year the most important event in Siena, the so-called “Palio di Siena“: this is an age-old feast represented by a challenge among the local seventeen quarters that fight in a real equestrian running that attracts thousand of spectators from all over the world every year. But Siena has other beautiful treasuries considering not only all its artistic works but also the wonderful landscape that surrounds it and its yummy enogastronomic products.

The following one is a list of all the monuments that you can admire visiting Siena:

PALAZZO PUBBLICO

You can find it in Piazza del Campo.  Beside the Palazzo there is the Torre del Mangia built in the XII century: it is a stone bell tower visitable after having climbed 336 steps.  At the basis of this tower you can admire the Square Chapel built in 1348 to celebrate the end of the pestilence.

PALAZZO CHIGI – SARACINI

Address: Via di Città 89

This is typical Gothic stone palace built between the XII and the XIII century and restored in the XX century, it is made up by a stone tower and by an elegant façade. Today this palace is the centre of the Chigiana Musical Academy.

PALAZZO PICCOLOMINI

Address: Via Banchi di Sotto, 52

This is an imposing Renaissance palace built in the XV century.  Its stone façade is characterized by the presence of the two coats of arm of the Piccolomini family.  Today this palace is the centre of the State Archives.

LOGGE DEI PAPI

Address: Via Banchi di Sotto

These stone loggias are characterized by Corinthian columns built in 1462 for Pope Pio II.

PALAZZO PICCOLOMINI O DELLE PAPESSE

Adress: Via di Città 126

This is a typical Renaissance palace built in the XV century for Caterina Piccolomini, Pope Pio II sister. Today here there is the Contemporary Art Centre.

PALAZZO TOLOMEI

Adress: Tolomei Square

This palace was built during the XIII century and it one of the most ancient Gothic constructions in Siena.

FONTE BRANDA

This source is placed at the bottom of the hill where there is the S.Domenico church and it was built during the XI century.

PIAZZA DEL CAMPO

The famous square, centre of the civil power, is shell shaped surrounded by bricks buildings and visitable thanks to the presence of two accesses. The central section is paved with bricks and divided into nine sectors that remember the Nine Government. All the palaces that surround it date back to the XIII and the XIV century, among them we can quote the Palazzo Pubblico and the Torre del Mangia. In this square you can find the Fonte Gaia whose name derives from the feasts organized in Siena for the arrival of water in 1344.

OSPEDALE DI SANTA MARIA DELLA SCALA

Address: Dome Square (Piazza del Duomo)

This hospital was built during the IX century even if the current structure dates back to the XIV century. Inside this construction you can find beautiful frescos of the XIV and of the XVI century that summarize the building’s history planned by Sorore.

Basilicas and Churches in Siena

THE HOLY MARY DOME

Adress: Dome Square (Piazza del Duomo)

It is one of the most charming Gothic Italian churches and it was built between the XIII and the XIV century.  It is characterized by a façade made up by polychrome marbles with three big doors and ornamented with statues that portray prophets, philosophers and patriarchs. The bell tower is very ancient and it is characterized by black and white strips. Two very important monuments are also The Chapel Chigi and the Madonna del Voto. Above the apse fresco there is circular window designed by Duccio. The Reinaissance Chapel of Saint John the Baptist hedges in frescos by Pinturicchio and the Saint bronze statue made by Donatello.

THE HOLY MARY OF SLAVES BASILICA (BASILICA DI S. MARIA DEI SERVI)

Address: Val di Montone Street

This basilica is placed on a staircase and it was built during the XIII century. It has a romanesque bell tower and visiting it you can find many interesting artistic works such as the Byzantine style of the Madonna del Bordone.

THE SAINT DOMENICO BASILICA

Address: Saint Domenico square

Inside the basilica, in the Cappella Delle Volte you can find the only portrait of Saint Katherine by Andrea Vanni. On the right wall there is the Saint Katherine Chapel ornamented with wonderful frescos by Sodoma. In the tabernacle of this Chapel altar there is a reliquary containing Saint Katherine head.

SAINT FRANCESCO BASILICA

Address: Saint Francesco square

This basilica was built in Gothic style during the XIV and the XV century, then it was distroyed by fire in 1655 and renovated during the XIX century. Here you can admire other frescos made by Pietro e Ambrogio Lorenzetti.

S.MARIA DI PROVENZANO CHURCH

Address: Salvani Square

Made up by stones, this church was built in 1594 by Flaminio del Turco and it is the unique Baroque construction in Siena. The major altar hedges in a XV century embossed picture representing the Holy Mary which the famous Palio is dedicated to.

BAPTISTERY OF SAN GIOVANNI

Address: San Giovanni Square

This monument was built during the XIV century and its façade remained unfinished. At the middle there is the “Fonte Battesimale“, one of the most important Renaissance’s masterpieces, that is ornamented with gilt bronze panels and several statues representing San Giovanni life such as the “Speranza” and “Banchetto di Erode” by Donatello.

ORATORY OF S.BERNARDINO

Address: San Francesco Square

This oratory was built during the XV century where San Bernardino predicated. The inferior chapel dates back to the XVII century and it was ornamented by local artists, the superior chapel is characterized by wooden ceiling and walls by Ventura Turapilli and by wonderful frescos by Girolamo del Pacchia, Beccafumi e Sodoma.

Touring in Siena you can also visit many beautiful museums as the following ones:

• ARCHIVIO DI STATO (State Archives) – MUSEO DELLE TAVOLETTE DI BICCHERNA – Aderess: Banchi di Sotto Street. Here you can find 60.000 parchments, bylaws and statutes of the Siena Republic.
• MUSEO-BIBLIOTECA COMUNALE DEGLI INTRONATI – Aderess: Della sapienza Street.  Free entry – Here you can find 500.000 books  and 5.000 manuscripts.
• MUSEO-COLLEZIONI CHIGI-SARACINI – Aderess: Di città Street. Free guided tours, library.
• MUSEO-LIBRERIA PICCOLOMINI – Address: Dome Square.  Paid entry. Here you can find frescos by Pinturicchio and other works by Liberale da Verona, Sano di Pietro, Girolamo da Cremona.
• MUSEO ARCHEOLOGICO NAZIONALE – Address: Dome Square. Here you can find important archaeological finds,  cinerary urns and Etruscan objects.
• MUSEO “AURELIO CASTELLI” -  Address: Dell’osservanza Street
  Guided Visits. Here you can find statues, portraits, seals, prints and other preciuos artistic works.
• MUSEO “BOLOGNA-BUONSIGNORI” – Address: Roma Street
  Free entry. Private collection made up of artistic works, portraits, furniture, wapons and ceramics.
• MUSEO CIVICO -  Address: Piazza del Campo
  Paid Entry. Rooms with several masterpieces by Domenico di Niccolò, Simone Martini, Ambrogio Lorenzetti,Jacopo della Quercia.

These are only some examples of all the museums you can visit in this beautiful city.

Moreover near Siena you can also admire several charming castles and fortresses such as: the ROCCA DI MONTALCINO, the CASTELLO DI SPALTENNA, the CITTÀ FORTIFICATA DI MONTERIGGIONI,  and the CASTELLO DI COLLE DI VAL D’ELSA.

Road and Highway Connections
Arriving from the Northern part of Italy, you should firstly going through the highway A1 where the right exit is Firenze Certosa, secondly you should continue your trip through the free way Firenze – Siena. At this point it will take more or less 40 minutes to arrive in Siena.
Arriving from the Southern part of Italy, you should firstly going through the highway A1 where the right exit is Valdichina, secondly you should continue your trip through the free way Bottole – Siena.  At this point it will take more or less 2 houres and 30 minutes to arrive in Siena.
You can even reach Siena by bus and the possible solutions are the following ones:

• From Florence: the bus station is placed exactly in front of the railway station: Santa Maria Novella. You can choose among: the LINEA RAPIDA (Rapid Line) that takes one hour and 15 minutes to arrive in Siena, and the LINEA DIRETTA (Direct Line) that takes one hour and 35 minutes to arrive in that city. Bus line TRA-IN spa. (telephone.: + 39 0577 / 204245), Bus line SITA (free phone no.: 800 – 373760).
• From Rome: Coach Station Address: Roma Tiburtina. The bus usually takes two hours and 45 minutes to arrive in Siena. SENA (free phone no.: 800 – 930960, tel.: 0577/283203).

Railway Connections

Leaving from Florence you should change at Empoli then it takes more or less one hour and 30 minutes to arrive in Siena.
Leaving from Rome you should change at Chiusi and then it takes more or less 3 hours to arrive in Siena.
Leaving from Pisa you should change at Empoli and then it takes more or less two hours to arrive in Siena.
The Siena’s railway station is 2 km away from the historical centre of this city where you can arrive in five minutes by bus.

Aerial Connections

The following ones are all the airports near to Siena:

• Florence Airport, it is 85 km away from Siena
• Pisa Airport, it is 169 km away from Siena

Both these two airports are connected to the most important Italian airports and to many European and Extra-European airports.

Siena is placed in the Italian region called Toscana and it is the main city of the namesake province. The neighbouring cities are: Monteroni d’Arbia, Sovicille, Castelnuovo Berardenga, Monteriggioni and Asciano. However, to better understand geographical position of Siena you can take a look at this map.

…Enjoy your stay in Siena!

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